MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Pavel Durov, co-founder of the Telegram messenger, described the Louvre robbery in Paris as the decline of France.

"Not at all surprised by the Louvre heist," Durov wrote on his X social network account.

"It’s another sad sign of the decline of a once great country where the government has perfected the art of distracting people with phantom threats instead of confronting the real ones," he added.

According to the Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, four criminals got into the museum using a furniture elevator. They broke into Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) and stole nine jewelry pieces. They lost one of the stolen items, the crown of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, inlaid with 1,354 diamonds, while fleeing the scene.

Investigators believe that the theft was committed by professionals, she said. The robbers have not yet been identified. Following the heist, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez instructed to toughen security measures at the country’s museums.

Russia’s Durov, one of the world’s most influential tech icons, was arrested at Le Bourget Airport on August 24, 2024. An investigation is underway in France against him. He is now obliged to return to France every 14 days.